http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: In a novel taking place in Australia, a reference was made to "boomers." I think they were kangaroos. Is this a nickname for them? -- R.B., Bozeman, Mont.

A: A boomer is a male kangaroo while a flyer is a female. When they mate, they have a joey. A group of kangaroos is a mob.

•

Q: There is a link between Michelangelo, Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton. Do you know what it is? -- J.J., New Roads, La.

A: The only link I know among the three is their birth and death years. In 1564, Michelangelo died and Galileo was born. Galileo died in 1642, the year Newton was born.

•

DID YOU KNOW? Elizabeth Taylor and her two-time husband Richard Burton appeared together on stage in a 1983 revival of Noel Coward's "Private Lives."

•

Q: What is the real name of the ship on the TV show "The Love Boat"? -- E.C., Vancouver, Wash.

A: It was a Princess Cruises cruise liner named Pacific Princess. The ship was sold for scrap in 2013.

•

Q: I have heard of the World's Longest Yard Sale. It stretches something like 50 miles. Can you tell me when and where this sale is located? -- J.E., New Bern, N.C.

A: The World's Longest Yard Sale originated in Jamestown, Tenn., in 1987 as a way to get travelers onto the highway U.S. 127. Over the years, the sale has grown and now stretches 690 miles, from five miles north of Addison, Mich., to Gadsden, Ala.
There are more than 2,000 vendors along the way. The event starts the first Thursday of August and runs through the following Sunday. This year the dates are Aug. 7-10. For more information, visit 127YardSale.com.

•

Q: Besides being an inventor, Alexander Graham Bell was also one of the founders of the National Geographic Society. I know he wrote several articles, but my searches for them have come up with nothing. Can you help? -- W.A., Shawsheen Village, Mass.

A: Look up the articles by the author H.A. Largelamb, Bell's pen name, which is an anagram of A. Graham Bell.

•

Q: On segments of "The Muppet Show," there were two old male puppets who sit in box seats and criticize the show. What are their names? -- P.L., Palmdale, Calif.

A: They are two of my favorites, Statler and Waldorf. Statler is the taller, thinner puppet who sits on the right. Jim Henson was the original voice of Waldorf.

•

Q. What does the "J" stand for in the cartoon character Homer J. Simpson? -- B.C.D., Mesa, Ariz.

A: During one episode, Homer realized he didn't know his middle name, so he went to a hippie hideout where his mother once lived and found a mural she painted of him with his full name -- Homer Jay Simpson.

•

Q: Hey, Mr. Know-It-All, I have a riddle for you. If a man came into town on Friday, stayed two days and left on Friday, how long was he there? -- J.E.M., Statesville, N.C.

A: He was there two days; his horse was named Friday.

•

Q: Where did the Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL call home prior to moving to Kansas City? -- O.C., Exeter, R.I.

A: In 1960, the American Football League fielded a team named the Dallas Texans. In 1963, the franchise moved to Kansas City and adopted a new name. In 1970, the Kansas City Chiefs joined the NFL.